The rotary connector device mounted on a vehicle such as automobiles and the like includes a cable housing formed of a stator and a rotator to be assembled on a same axis so as to be relatively rotatable.
The rotary connector device has the stator secured to the automobile body and the rotator assembled on the steering wheel in the cable housing, and electrically connects a horn module, air bag module, power supply, and the like, for example, between the automobile body and the steering wheel.
In recent years, a rotary connector device which comprises an angle detection sensor near the rotary connector device and has an angle detecting function for detecting a rotation angle of a steering of a steering wheel has been proposed.
A combination switch device in Patent Document 1 is one of the rotary connector devices having the angle detecting function as described above, and has a structure including a roll connector unit as a rotary connector device and a sensor unit having an angle detecting function.
Since the rotary connector device has the angle detecting function as described above, it can be applied to various types of control such as control of a damping force of a suspension, for example, based on angle information obtained from an angle detection sensor.
The rotary connector devices having the angle detecting function as described above include, for example, a type which can obtain a rotation angle of the steering with an angle detection sensor 310 detecting a rotation of a rotator 130, which rotates in association with a steering, as shown in FIG. 13.
FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a conventional rotary connector device 100 having an angle detecting function.
In the conventional rotary connector device 100 shown in FIG. 13, the angle detection sensor 310 secured to an automobile side is attached to a lower side of a stator 112. On an inner peripheral side of the angle detection sensor 310, an angle detecting rotating body 330 which rotates independently from the main body of the angle detection sensor 310 and concentrically with the steering is provided.
A rotator 130 of the rotary connector device 100 as described above comprises a torque transmitting portion 610 which rotates concentrically with the angle detecting rotating body 330 and transmits rotation torque of the steering to the angle detecting rotating body 330.
The torque transmitting portion 610 is located so as to oppose the angle detecting rotating body 330 on a radially internal side.
Further, as shown in an enlarged view of X portion in FIG. 13, a fitting protrusion 340 for fitting to the torque transmitting portion 610 is formed on at least apart of a circumferential direction of the angle detecting rotating body 330. A fitting trench portion 620 for allowing the fitting protrusion 340 to fit is formed on the torque transmitting portion 610.
Since the fitting protrusion 340 and the fitting trench portion 620 fit to each other, the angle detecting rotating body 330 can rotate with the torque transmitting portion 610 in association with a rotation of the steering, and the angle detecting sensor 310 can detect an angle based on the rotation of the angle detecting rotating body 330.
However, as shown in X portion in FIG. 13, abutting portions of both the fitting protrusion 340 and the fitting trench portion 620 are formed in plate shapes. Specifically, both sides in a width direction of the fitting protrusion 340 are formed planarly, and both sides in a width direction of the fitting trench portion 620 are formed planarly.
Thus, the abutting portions of the fitting protrusion 340 and the fitting trench portion 620 abut each other planarly, causing a colliding sound or a scraping sound to be made easily when a torque is transmitted from the torque transmitting portion 610 to the angle detecting rotating body 330.
Accordingly, there has been a problem that, every time the rotating operation of the steering is performed, an annoying sound is made and a quiet and comfort driving is disturbed.